In My Bag: Packing for a Photo Assignment

It’s time once again when I need to pack my stuff for a photo assignment. Normally, when I pack my stuff for a personal travel, I try to be as light as possible and leave some things that I would probably not use. But when packing for a photo assignment, its different. I had to bring other stuff along that I may probably need. Here’s just an insight on what I bring along during a photo assignment trip.

Filters: Aside from the usual protection filters, I also have an ND8 filter and a GND (Gradual Neutral Density) Filter on 2 varying stops. I use to have a polarizing filter but lately I no longer use it as much so I leave it.

Memory Cards, batteries, FlashChargers

Batteries, Memory cards, Lens Pen. I have two extra batteries with me always and also around 20gig of memory cards.

I have a couple of small bags where I put all my chargers and some cables.

I don’t usually bring my MSI Laptop during my trips but a times like this I bring it in case I need extra storage. My Music companion, an old gen iPod and also my cellphones. I can’t also leave without my moleskine and notebook where I jot down notes.

Out of the bag I also have my Giottos Carbon Fiber Tripod. One of the essentials I can’t leave without like my folding umbrella.

All packed up. Ready to go

Some of the additional things I bring is my Fl36 Flash and a couple sets of batteries in case I need it. A 2 sided portable reflector which I only borrowed.

Usually on travel assignments, we get to have a decent accommodation where I can leave my stuff so I just bring a Deuter duffle bag with me with a few sets of clothes, toiletry. I leave that in the room.

There that’s it. I may have missed a few things but essentially those are what I bring. When properly packed, I essentially have two bags. My Kata Sensitivity for the gears, my Deuter for the clothes and additional gears and I just hand carry the tripod.

That’s sharing my insight. Will be leaving in a few hours and hope you enjoy the weekend.

15 Comments

Thanks Ferdz for sharing. This is true and it’s a must for professional photographer accepting an assignment — that you bring along some extra gears such as lenses, chargers and batteries if an incidental event came in. Lesson learned: it’s not appropriate for you to borrow a lens from your client during the actual course of an assignment even if you worked with him or her for quite sometime, right? It’s okay for a client to try out your gear since he or she is learning the craft. This is what happened to me. A photographer borrowed my UWA a number of times and he doesn’t have a tripod with him all along the assignment.

Jocas, I think it’s just part of being a good professional to bring the necessary gear. The preproduction/feasibility meeting is part and parcel of the assignment; at this junction, the photographer should be able to know which equipment to bring so borrowing gear from the art director/client is a big no-no. I also think a tripod is an absolute-must in any shoot even if it’s a bright light shoot because you’ll never know when it will come in handy.

@ lagalog: You’re absolutely right. I don’t mind lending my personal gear. I even insist sometimes just to pull the task off. But my expectation then to that “professional” photographer was he should have the equipment / gear needed to execute the job.

Nakaka ‘tulo laway’ naman ang mga gamit mo! Thank you so much for sharing the info, you are so generous and humble. Maski hindi ako photographer, at maligaya na sa PnS, i still appreciate knowing infos like these. Thank you, and congratulations!

Haha Thank Karlo! Yeah I know about those mishaps. Nangyari yan on one of our trips with a friend of mine. First day pa lang nalaglag yung camera nya sa tubig sa falls. I have another back up camera naman in case.

the 12-60mm is the mid range. Olympus has a 2x crop factor kaya in 35mm the 12-60mm is actually 24-120mm. It’s my favorite standard zooms 🙂